Candle follower



Patented Feb. 11, 1941 UNITED STATES PATEN @FFICE 1 Claim.

This application is a continuation in part of my present pending application for patent for candle follower, filed August 26, 1937, under Serial No. 161,125, now abandoned.

MyI instant invention, relating to improvements in candle followers, has for an object thereof to provide a simple, durable, comparatively inexpensive and sightly follower adapted not only to prevent the dripping of a candle, but also adapted to cooperate with a slow-burning candle to render it efficiently illuminative over a long period of time.

I have found that a candle of beeswax, having a relatively slender wick, is well suited for burning over a comparatively long period of time, provided that the wick is suitably stiffened, as by a reed, and the candle supplemented with a drip-preventing follower capable of creating a uniformly deep pool of molten wax coextensively with the top of the candle to promote constancy of combustion in the fiame and to pro- -vide a narrow, wax-tight, zonal seal between candle and follower admitting of the free gravitation of the follower, as the stock of the candle is consumed.

Candle followers have been used heretofor for ordinary candles to prevent dripping, but to my knowledge none has been devised also to promote the burning of a candle such as that especially constructed to burn a relatively long time. In fact, the prior followers known to me have had for their purpose to minimize the quantity of melted wax produced and to curb against dripping, as occasioned either by overflow from the follower or by leakage between the follower and candle, any surplus of melted wax beyond that consumed in a thick, fast-burning wick. One known type of follower is incapable of creating and maintaining a pool of molten wax of sufficient depth to produce a steady and suitable flame in a candle rendered slowly consumable by virtue of a relatively slender wick employed therein. Another type of follower is clisadvantageous because of the non-uniformity in depth of the confined quantity of melted wax and the consequent inability of the follower to gravitate freely and maintain a complete wax-tight seal between follower and candle. A further disadvantage noted in prior followers resides in undue weight, which often causes a candle to bend, and a still further disadvantage noted in prior followers lies in unduly great heat conductivity of the follower material, which is attended with the relatively rapid descent of the follower and the necessity of rapidly consuming the fast liquefying wax to prevent its overflow from the follower.

The disadvantages residing in other followers are overcome in my improved follower, which is relatively light in weight and a poor conductor of heat, thin glass of uniform thickness, non-breakable by heat, being employed in my construction.

A particularly advantageous feature of my present invention resides in the frustro-conical formation of the sleeve-like follower by virtue of which a wick feeding pool of molten wax, in substantial quantity and of uniform depth, is provided and maintained, without overflow, and a relatively shallow stratum of semi-molten wax is produced to supply a comparatively thin zonal seal between candle and follower, whereby the follower will freely gravitate, without leakage, as the stock of the candle is consumed.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will appear in the following description, the invention resides in the novel combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawing, Fig. 1 is a side elevational View of a candle having thereon a follower embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the candle and follower shown in Fig. l, and Fig. 3 is a vertical central sectional view of the same candle and follower, said view showing the candle lighted and illustrating the pool of molten wax and the stratum of semi-solid wax forming the zonal seal between candle and follower.

Reference being had to the drawing, it will be seen that my improved follower, designated in its entirety by the reference letter A, is generally of sleeve-like construction and more particularly of frustro-conical formation. It is made of glass, which is non-breakable by heat, and is constructed with a uniformly thin wall. I prefer to use glass in the construction of my follower by reason of the fact that it is of comparatively low specific gravity and a relatively poor conductor of heat, and because its transparency enhances the appearance of the follower. Being of glass and having a thin wall of uniform thickness, the follower, though comparatively long to render it stable in use, is relatively light in weight, and thus not subject to unduly fast descent by reason of overweight.

I'he follower A lincludes an upper or neck portion I0, a lower or skirt portion I6, and an intermediate zonal sealing portion ll. Upon the application of the follower to a candle l2 the zonal sealing portion Il of said follower contacts the upper edge of the candle, the neck portion I converging upwardly toward the terminal of the wick I3 and being so constricted at the top that it is brought into the proximity of the candle flame I3a and effectively heated by radiation therefrom. This neck portion I6 of my follower provides a well I4 of substantial capacity for the melted wax l5.

The skirt portion IS of the follower diverges from the sides of the candle I2 and forms a space II between said follower and candle in which air circulates by gravity and effects a tight seal between follower and candle by relatively cooling the lower annular portion i8 of the semisolid wax I9 in the stratum of the candle forming the bottom of the pool of melted wax 5.

The relatively poor heat conductivity of the glass forming my follower is advantageous in the skirt portion I6 from the standpoint of maintaining the zonal seal between follower and candle at the perimeter of the stratum of semi-solid wax I9, but would be disadvantageous in the neck portion I0 were it not for the fact that said neck portion converges toward the wick terminal I3, it being an important desideratum to conduct heat from the candle flame through the material of the neck portion Il) so that the pool created and maintained in said neck portion, will comprise a substantial quantity of melted wax I of substantially uniform depth from side to side of the follower. Maintaining the wax in liquid state entirely across the neck portion I0 of the follower, attains consistency in the burning of the candle llame, and keeping such wax in liquid state at substantially uniform depth makes the stratum of semi-solid Wax I9 uniformly shallow, thus limiting its zonal area ofA contact with the light weight follower A and assuring the free gravitation of said follower, while tightly maintaining the seal between follower and candle.

The lower annular portion of the follower A is curved inwardly to form a flange which guides the follower A into operative position on a candle and prevents any undue tilting of the follower from such position.

The diameter of the opening defined by the lip of said flange 20 is substantially greater than the diameter of the candle to which the follower is applied so that a way, as at 2I, is provided for the passage of air into and out of the space I1 between the candle and follower. Said flange 20 strengthens the follower and, lending weight to the lower portion thereof, enhances its stability on a candle.

Employing my improved follower in conjunction with a beeswax candle having a relatively slender wick, I provide an economically, longburning article which is entirely dripless and which produces a steady and uniform flame, such articles being particularly desirable for many purposes and especially in church devotions.

As will be readily comprehended, the freedom from drip afforded by my invention involves not only its capacity for holding a deep pool ofwaX, but also the feature of the effective sealing stratum of semi-solid wax resulting from the maintenance of such deep pool. Moreover, the structure is shaped and flanged, as pointed out, to prevent the undue tilting or pivoting of the same about an axis at the level of the sealing stratum that would break the seal afforded by the semisolid wax in said stratum. Further, it has been found that the above construction, by the cooling of the flange, inherently prevents the melting and gouging of the flange into the candle and the consequent cessation of descent of the follower that also would break said seal, which fault has been found to exist in the prior art.

Changes in the specific form of my invention, as herein disclosed, may be made within the scopeof what is claimed without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent ist A sleeve-like frustro-conical glass follower adapted to promote steady illumination by and prevent the dripping of wax from a candle having a relatively slender wick for attaining longevity of the candle in use, said frustro-conical follower having a uniformly thin Wall uniformly tapered upwardly and comprising a relatively long neck portion, a skirtportion, and an intermediate sealing portion adapted perimetrically to engage the stratum of semi-solid wax of the burning candle, the upper region of said neck portion providing a flame-encircling element having a wall surface of substantial area exposed to and converging toward the candle flame and adapted to absorb heat radiating from the flame, the lower region of said neck portion being adapted to contain a relatively deep pool of liquid wax melted from the candle by heat from said flame and adapted to conduct heat from said heat-absorbing element to the candle to create such a deep pool of wax and maintain uniformity of depth thereof and a correspondingly uniform shallowness in the stratum of semi-solid wax engaged by said sealing portion of the follower, the skirt portion of said follower forming a space progressively increasing downwardly in transverse cross-section between said skirt portion and candle for the reception and circulation therein of air to cool said skirt portion and maintain the wax contacting said intermediate sealing portion of the follower in semi-solid state effecting an annularly tight seal between candle and follower, said skirt portion having an inturned bottom flange with the opening defined by the lip of said flange of slightly greater diameter than the candie for admitting air into said space, whereby said flange is cooled and can contact the candle without softening and gouging into the same and whereby seal-break through undue tilting or arrested descent of the follower is prevented.

FREDERIC BORMANN. 

